The tasting room for the Axe and the Oak distillery is in one of our favorite spots–the Ivywild School! I tried their flight which served up tastes of a moonshine, a whisky, and a bourbon. From there, I tried the Belgian Old Fashioned. Cas tried the Belgian Old Fashioned and shifted to their smoky tobacco Old Fashioned, like he has done many times before.
Our bartender at the Axe and the Oak distillery, Montana Horsfall, did not disappoint. She is, in fact, and award winning bartender who impressed us tremendously with her skills with the blowtorch. Yes. She lit a slab of wood on fire and turned Cas’ glass upside down on top of the flame to produce a smoky flavor for his Old Fashioned.
Beyond the theatricals, they use hand carved ice, freshly squeezed juices, and in-house made infusions. It is quality from every angle. If you go, have a bit of patience, these are crafted cocktails–they care cutting your ice cubes just for you!–and so the wait may be a bit longer than you are used to.
We really enjoyed the live music at the Axe and the Oak distillery and, at times, it was so good that I forgot that it was a live person playing for us! The very talented Brandon Henderson played a mix of his own songs and some of our favorites including Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, and even Smashing Pumpkins. He is a regular there, so you might be able to catch him, but if not, their 6-nights a week music lineup is top notch!